This article introduces GemX Path Analysis and walks you through how to use this feature to spot the drop-offs in your full funnel.
What is GemX Path Analysis?
Path Analysis is an interactive chart in GemX that shows the sequence of pages visitors go through during a session on your Shopify store.
It helps you understand how visitors enter your store, how they move between key pages, and where they drop off before completing checkout.
The report helps you understand:
- Where visitors start (for example: homepage, product page, landing page, blog).
- Which pages they move to next, such as collection pages, product pages, or checkout.
- Whether they complete a conversion or drop off at a specific step.
With Path Analysis, you can view up to 7 total steps in your funnel:
- Up to 4 customizable steps: You can choose a First Step and add up to 3 additional steps to map the steps visitors take before reaching the cart and checkout.
- 3 fixed steps (Checkout Stage): These steps always appear at the end of the funnel, including:
- Added to cart
- Reached checkout
- Completed checkout
How to Access the Path Analysis in GemX?
You can access Path Analysis from two different areas inside GemX, depending on what you want to analyze.
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If you want to evaluate how visitors move through each Control and Variant in an experiment, access it from the Experiments tab.
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If you want to understand how visitors behave after landing on a specific page, access it from the Analytics tab.
Each method gives you a slightly different view of the funnel and controls available, as explained below.
Method 1: Access from Experiment tab
Use this method when you want to review how your A/B test variants impact visitor flow.
Accessing Path Analysis from an Experiment Analytics gives you full control over the First Step, allowing you to choose where the journey begins and customize up to three additional steps.
Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to GemX: CRO & A/B Testing > Experiments.
Step 2: Click on your target live campaign to access the Experiment Analytics dashboard. Then, scroll down to locate the Path Analysis interactive chart.
Step 3: Customize the funnel steps to track how your customers move through your store.
- You can choose the first step from the Change link dropdown that shows all links with sessions.
- You can add up to three additional steps using the “+” button to track specific pages or actions (upsells, landing pages, blog posts, thank-you pages, etc.).
Once done, the steps update automatically, and the visualization adjusts to your selection.
Step 4: Hover over each step to reveal its data.
For the First Step and customizable steps, you will see full metrics, including:
- Sessions
- Visitors
- Continuation sessions
- Bounce rate
- Click-through rate
For the fixed Checkout Stage (Added to cart → Reached checkout → Completed checkout), the hover panel displays:
- Reached this step
- Dropped off
This helps you quickly compare performance across all steps of the funnel, from entry to checkout.
Pro tip: You can track the customer journey through each Control and Variant in your campaign.
Learn more: Understanding Metrics and Session Views in GemX
Method 2: Access from Analytics tab
Use this method when you want to analyze how visitors move after landing on a specific page.
In Page Analytics, the First Step of the Path Analysis is fixed, as the report is tied directly to the page you selected from your store pages.
Step 1: Go to the Analytics tab from the left sidebar. You’ll see a list of all pages in your store.
Step 2: Select the page you want to analyze to enter its Analytic Dashboard. In the Page Analytics view, scroll to the Path Analysis section.
Step 3: Customize the funnel starting from the page you selected. You can add up to three additional steps to map the visitor flow before the Checkout Stage.
Please note that the First Step is fixed to the page you selected, and you can not change it to another page.
Important note: If the First Step does not lead to any other page (for example, no recorded sessions continue from this page), the “+” button will be disabled, and you won’t be able to add the next step in the funnel.
Step 4: Hover over each step to reveal the key metrics and track your customer journey through the funnel.
How Path Analysis Helps You Optimize Your Next Experiment
Path Analysis gives you clear visibility into where visitors drop off, helping you identify the exact steps in your funnel that may be causing friction. By understanding which pages lose the most traffic, you can decide where to focus your next optimization effort or A/B test.
Here’s how Path Analysis supports your experimentation workflow:
- Spot high-impact drop-off points
Large drops between two steps indicate that visitors are not engaging or progressing as expected. These pages become priority candidates for improvement.
- Choose the right page to optimize
Instead of guessing, you can use Path Analysis to determine which page in the journey, such as a landing page, product page, or content page, is responsible for losing the most users.
- Plan effective A/B tests in GemX
Once a weak step is identified, you can create an experiment targeting that page. This may include testing different layouts, product blocks, CTAs, or messaging.
- Validate improvements with Experiment Analytics
When the experiment runs, you can revisit Path Analysis inside the Experiment tab to compare how your Control and Variant influence visitor flow. If the Variant reduces drop-off, you know the optimization is working.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does Path Analysis show?
Path Analysis displays the sequence of pages visitors go through during a session, including where they start, which pages they visit next, and where they drop off before reaching checkout.
2. How many customizable steps can I add?
You can add up to 3 additional pages, giving you a maximum of 4 customizable stages before the three fixed steps: Added to cart, Reached checkout, and Completed checkout.
3. Why is the “+” button disabled?
The “+” button is disabled when the First Step in your funnel does not lead to any other page (no continuation sessions). In this case, a next step cannot be added.
4. How does Path Analysis help me choose what to A/B test?
By showing where visitors drop off, Path Analysis helps you identify which pages need improvement. You can then design an experiment targeting those pages and validate changes through Experiment Analytics.
5. Can I compare Control and Variant flows using Path Analysis?
Yes. When accessing Path Analysis from the Experiments tab, you can review how each variant affects visitor movement and drop-offs throughout the funnel.
